Duncannon to Delaware Water Gap
Pennsylvania rocks scored a point or two
I was warned and it's true, the ridgeline north of Duncannon is covered in more poison ivy than any stretch of trail I've noticed.
Today it rained all day, including a downpour where I could do nothing but laugh and keep walking. What do thru hikers do when it rains? Maybe wear a jacket, pack some stuff in extra plastic bags, and keep going. Perhaps keep an eye out for exposed ridges, rock scrambles, and stream crossings. I appreciated that my headphones were water resistant and figured most people aren't using them in such a big rainstorm.
Unfortunately, I skinned my shin after slipping on some wet rock, though no major injury. It had actually stopped raining for a few hours in the afternoon but started again as I was nearing camp. Emotionally done with the rain, I ended early at a random unexpected spot because I didn't want to go (uphill) another step.
Day 93
I was having a very uneventful day and a pretty lonely one, seeing just one backpacker and two day hikers by early afternoon. I was even feeling a little unsettled in my stomach, but luckily it passed. Then, I got some trail magic and ran into 3 other thru hikers, more than I had seen all day. Root beer floats and fresh watermelon and homemade baked goods will boost your spirits - and I don't even like root beer.
After thinking, "wow I haven't seen anything I felt like photographing today," I ran into a copperhead. Along with the timber rattlesnake and the water moccasin, it is one of 3 venomous snake species in Pennsylvania. A half mile later, I was at camp along with some of my new acquaintances.
The next part in my discussion series on food is about snacks. With the exception of only 1 guy I can think of who sticks to 3 squares a day, most hikers are snacking often. I generally have 3 to 4 "pocket snacks" a day, which includes protein bars, trail mix, or anything small that fits in my hip belt pocket. I might take another snack break separate from lunch for potato chips or crackers and Nutella, something that requires sitting and opening my backpack. There could be a snack right when I get to camp, before setting up and cooking.
Some hikers eat snacks in place of dedicated meals at breakfast or lunch. I enjoy my mealtimes and use snacking to tide me over in between. When I start to get hungry, I can't ignore it for long before my mood or my energy starts to dip. I've stopped to eat an emergency spoonful of peanut butter when it was the only thing at hand, and getting the last bit to camp seemed daunting.
What are common backpacking snacks? The sky truly is the limit. Protein or granola bars of all types, trail mix, dried fruit, nuts and seeds are all classic. Any snack by Little Debbie is fair game. Salty snacks like potato chips, Doritos and Cheezits. Gummy candies and candy bars, especially Snickers. Cheese sticks and jerky. I'm getting hungry writing this, so I think I'll stop there.
Day 94
1200 miles today! Started out with some morning rain. I took a lunch break at a lovely shelter, and it remains challenging to leave a dry space to walk in the rain. The 501 shelter actually has a full time caretaker on site, is fully enclosed, and has electricity and a water spigot. More importantly, you can order pizza delivery because it is next to a road. Alas, no pizza for me.
I actually walked through a prescribed burn area today. Fire is a natural part of many landscapes. Certain seeds will only germinate or be released after fire. It can help remove brushy undergrowth and add nutrients to the soil. I'm not sure this photo is clear, but all of the tree trunks were charred at the base, and since it was only a few months back, there is limited new growth on the forest floor.
I stayed at a very full shelter site. Maybe Pennsylvania really has more weekend backpackers, or its shelters aren't hard to get to, or it's simply a sign of summer vacation as there were several families with younger children.
Day 95
Today I got to hike with my friend Alex from high school, whose wedding I attended last month. She now lives near this section of trail. I had a great time catching up and sharing some trail stories throughout the afternoon. Thanks for helping with resupply and hiking with me, Alex!
Sadly for me, the Pennsylvania rocks scored another point against me today when I tripped and fully face planted, smashing my knee in the process.
Another interesting tidbit happened today - I ran into another hiker named Mimic who started in Georgia on the same day as me and who I haven't seen since day 2.
Day 96
Pennsylvania has a greater diversity of forest types than I knew. This is tough to capture in a photo, but suffice to say I've been impressed. Hiking along the AT, the trees and understory plants can vary dramatically from the "standard" forest I'm most familiar with. Some plant species grow together because they like the same conditions, and the size and type of trees affect how much light is available on the forest floor. Microclimates on sunny versus shadowy spots, or damp shaded valleys versus sunny dry ridges can lead to a lot of variety in a small area, too. A great example of this is ferns and mosses that grow right next to streams and springs. There's plenty of plant stuff I don't recognize, and it goes against the "green tunnel" stereotype. Sure, there's days when I forget to take photos because nothing stands out to me, but I'm not bored of it.
What does it mean when the trail is described as flat by a thru hiker? It's not open prairie, and it's not like Florida. However, looking at upcoming towns I realized that the elevation change over the next 50 miles (almost 5k each up and down, for those curious) is comparable to a challenging-but-not-unique 18 or 20 mile day farther south. Elevation is only one aspect that affects the difficulty of a section and the speed at which you can hike it. Ground cover: rocky, packed dirt, shoe squelching mud, ice, leaf litter. Exposure: sun, shade, wind, any current weather. Trail maintenance: blazed, clearly worn, blow downs, overgrown, faded. Thus, predicting your hiking speed is an art.
My knee is still a major issue; by the end of the day it doesn't want to bend much. A bit more rain today, and I got pretty cold in the process. Lucked into more trail magic! And I ended at a hostel for the night, so I had shower, laundry, and a sunny afternoon to recover.
Day 97
The infamous rocks of Pennsylvania begin in earnest. This scramble, though not very long or terribly exposed, is called Knife Edge. With my knee still sore I was definitely more cautious than I would have been otherwise. For anyone who has not carried an overnight backpack before, that amount of weight can easily throw off your balance. You might think climbing rocks on all fours is the most stable, but leaning over with a pack isn't easy.
I had a bear encounter today! Walking on uneven ground is a balance of staring directly at your feet and glancing ahead, maybe at the scenery, too, but don't trip in the process. I look up and see a VERY LARGE black bear directly in the middle of trail and staring back at me. I'm bad at guessing distance, though it was probably 80 yards away. I start yelling and waving my arms at it, but it does the opposite and sits and lays down like a dog. Within about 2 minutes, two other hikers appear behind me. Fire and Kanga are super excited because neither have seen a bear on trail yet - I met them two days ago. With all of us yelling, it eventually stands up and slowly ambles away.
We tell everyone we see about the bear, and by the end of the evening there are at least 3 separate reports from that ridgeline. The three of us camp together deliberately as a safety measure.
Day 98
Well, well, well, turns out the "aggressive bear activity" signs on this mountain are very true. This morning over breakfast, I look up to see a small (yearling? Juvenile?) bear approaching camp at maybe 20 yards away. It made no noise, and the person closest to it hadn't even noticed. We yell and make noise, and it scrambles away. Only to return a few minutes later as it circles camp! This time, you can see it sniffing the air, and it practically enters the clearing before it finally leaves. A touch rattled, we all pack up quickly after that and depart as a group. I have no photos as I was only armed with breakfast and a spoon.
Next up, another infamous Pennsylvania rock scramble. The climb out of Lehigh Gap felt more intense than the so called Knife's Edge. Rarely do I feel my mortality, even though to many non hikers a thruhike seems full of risk, but I did on this climb. There was one particular boulder problem (to borrow the phrase from rock climbing) that involved a slab that was smooth except for one ledge a foot wide. By this I mean turn your foot sideways and barely fit it, then stand up on that one leg while leaning your body into the rock. With the lack of good handholds and exposed position, there was not much to stop you if you leaned too far back and slipped. No trees, just some comfy rocks to land on eventually. And not a great time to be babying a knee injury.
The moment passed, and the rest of the scramble didn't feel so treacherous. This was, however, the start of a 20 mile water carry. A nearby superfund site contaminated some groundwater, and steep climbs to springs that ran dry in the summer was the other option. I lucked into some trail magic! Past thru hiker Road Soda provided water and some snacks at not one but two different road crossings. I also started finding wild blueberries! At this point, it's very isolated patches with select ripe fruit, but the season is coming.
To make tomorrow easier into Delaware Water Gap, I ended up camping on a motel lawn. The owner is very friendly to hikers and the crew gathered there was fun, though the road noise was aggressive. To describe the vibes of this motel: if we wanted to use the bathroom after hours, the owner pulled out a paint scraper and showed us how to jimmy the latch to the office door.
Day 99
It was a hot morning for some rocky hiking into town. I ended up meeting a ridge runner who was VERY interested in our camp bear story as this was not the first strike against the specific animal.
I'm settling in at the hostel when who shows up but most of my original tramily group! A lot can happen in a month on trail, and it was nice to catch up again. They were planning to stay in town for at least another day waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, while I'm hiking on to meet my parents tomorrow. I remain surprised that I'm several days ahead because I know they can hike faster than me; it was actually a source of stress that I always felt behind, even when we planned campsites together. Planning was a loose term, however, and communication was weak within the group. It appears our hiking styles have changed, though I'm sure I'll run into them again.
One of my original goals for my thru hike was to find community. This remains a challenge since I don't seem to stick with the same people for more than a few days at a time. Differences in pace or preference or town stops can cause you to lose track of someone quite easily, even if they aren't that far away. Like I described my time in Providence, I had a circle of acquaintances but lacked deeper connection.
Hiking with a large group certainly has tradeoffs. You must compromise constantly. It can scare off newcomers, so it can be hard to meet others. Group size can affect campsite options and town lodging options. Drama happens. Everyone agrees that trail groups form and dissolve, so hopefully my luck will change.
Day 100
The town of Delaware Water Gap sits right on the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. After a quick breakfast at the country store and pie shop, I completed another state. And soon after that, I crossed 1300 miles. I've been warned that the rocks are of course not confined by political boundaries, but I'm not at all sad to leave PA behind.
Why do the rocks of Pennsylvania get so much hate? At least half of the AT crossed very flat land, whether it was stretches of farmland, easy forest paths or old roads, or the smooth tops of ridges in between the climbs. There's plenty of rocks elsewhere along the trail. There were some scrambles, but not so much hand over hand climbing as can happen in New England. Plus, the AT section map's elevation scale only went up to 2000 feet, so climbs weren't super tall.
One reason is the type of rocks. These ones I called ankle breakers seemed to reach up to trip you. They were relatively small but occurred in dense stretches. The rocks were like pointy teeth, sticking up so that you must walk around and not so much on them. As one person put it, most rocks sort of work with you, but PA rocks actively work against you.
My parents hosted another successful trail magic, and it was nice to reconnect and resupply one more time before the distance gets great again. Photo dump below.
I chose to camp next to a fire tower (yes, wildfires are an issue in New Jersey enough that these towers are actively staffed) so I could get both sunrise and sunset views. This is surprisingly difficult to find on trail as we are most often surrounded by trees, not open vistas.
I was about ready to fall asleep and it was fully dark outside when I hear Taps playing. I guessed it was an actual trumpet player and not a recording, but the question still remained WHERE was this sound coming from. A closer look at the base map of the surrounding area showed a summer camp downhill from the fire tower, but it was a touch mysterious all the same.
Look at that, a convenient segue at exactly 100 days. Happy hiking!
Thanks for the detailed info on the snakes. Great stories of bears and rocks - glad you just keep on putting one foot in front of the next. From a Pennsylvanian, you rock!
ReplyDeleteScout!!! So excited to hear about your passage through possibly the most familiar section to the CMW family -- I've been looking forward to this entry! Rocksylvania is no joke. And we love a Harvey sighting! Have fun and be safe, friend.
ReplyDeleteTons of great pics and rocks, and more rocks! Sheesh! I didn’t realize serious mountain climbing was required. Hope the knee is better! Always wonderful to see you have a new post! Almost happy Fourth of July, kiddo! Xoxo
ReplyDeleteWe have been following along, loving your stories and the pictures. Hope those rocks ease up on you and the knee feels better!!! Thanks for posting along the way, it is so awesome following your journey! -The Snows
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